SANTA CLARA — Mike McCarthy spoke to Bay Area reporters Wedneday morning on a conference call. Here’s a transcript. Q: A lot was made of the trip your coaching staff took to Texas A&M. What was gained from that? McCARTHY: They were able to eat some good barbeque. They had a good time with Coach Kevin Sumlin’s staff down there. Got a chance to talk football, talk about A&M’s approach…

SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers massacred the Packers 45-31 on Saturday night. Here is the grade for the 49ers’ coaches. Coaching: A. Both the offensive and the defensive game plans were terrific. On defense, the 49ers struggled to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers with four rushers, so Fangio blitzed more than usual. He blitzed Patrick Willis in particular, who sacked Rodgers once and forced him to throw it away twice….

The 49ers play the Packers Saturday at the Stick. In the meantime, I’ll break down the key matchups. Mike McCarthy vs. Vic Fangio Fangio wants Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner to play deep zone coverage to take away the deep passes. Fangio called for a two-deep shell frequently in the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Packers, and it worked. The Packers stubbornly and fruitlessly kept throwing deep, even on…

SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke in the media tent Thursday afternoon. Here’s what he said, minus the part about the kickers, courtesy of the 49ers. Can you talk about Packers WR Randall Cobb, the dynamic that he has for that team? And the consideration that you need to have for him? “Randall Cobb and the many playmakers they have on offense makes it very difficult to zero in,…

SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke in the media tent Wednesday afternoon. Here’s a transcript of his press conference, courtesy of the 49ers. Have you made a decision on your kicker yet? “No. Not one that we’ll have made or announce yet.” Will you not announce it until an hour and a half before the game? “That’s possible.” I was on a conference call with former 49ers…

Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy spoke on a conference call with Bay Area reporters on Tuesday. Here’s what he said. Q: How different are both of these teams from the teams that faced each other in Week 1? McCARTHY: I think every team in the National Football League is different from Week 1 to when they get in the playoffs. I think that holds true for both the 49ers and…

Let’s rank the top-5 head coaches in the NFL and see why Jim Harbaugh, with all due respect, doesn’t yet make the cut. I base my rankings on productivity and evaluation and utilization of personnel in good times as well as bad. Who gets the most out of what they have and who can motivate the players to be the best they can be even when times are tough or…

SANTA CLARA – Here’s a snippet of Packers head coach Mike McCarthy’s Wednesday teleconference, in which he discussed Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith, and Colin Kaepernick. Q: Is the read-option play with Colin Kaepernick something you have to prepare for? McCARTHY: It’s definitely something you have to prepare for. You have to put the time in, and we feel fortunate to have had the extra time to prepare for the 49ers….

Who are the top-five head coaches in the NFL? Let’s start the discussion by listing coaches who used to be in the top-five but aren’t any more: Jeff Fisher, Mike Shanahan and Sean Payton. Am I leaving anyone out? Fisher’s a defensive guy who hasn’t coached a dominant defense in quite a while. Shanahan’s an offensive guy who hasn’t coached a dominant offense since John Elway was a quarterback. And…

Inside the 49ers: Grant Cohn

I cover the San Francisco 49ers year-round for The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa. Argue with me, agree with me, or just read the posts and follow the conversation. I've been a contributor to several other regional and national sports websites, and I also write two online columns a week for pressdemocrat.com, which are posted on this site as well.